"No use staying with the ship." Looking to both Lero and Namura, "What are our orders if we find her? Do you want us to take her alive or...." lifting his sword a bit to make his intentions clear. 

"Fair enough, Namura," Lero escalated the posturing between the two, taking a step closer. "But I will not have lives wasted because you were too stubborn to help track down a threat. Azsixi is out there and she failed her mission. Her mission to kill you and everyone else aboard this ship. Do you think she's going to sit back and allow us to continue our mission? We need to catch her while she's weak and disoriented, and we need your help to do so."

"Fine," Namura shrugged. It didn't matter in what order she found things, so long as she got to be in charge. She spoke lowly, just so Lero could hear. "We find her first. But if we can't, I don't want us waiting around on top of this giant target like sitting ducks."

The ranger took a large step back, right up to the rail. She raised her voice, this time addressing everyone onboard the ship. "Whoever wants to can join me, but be warned. I refuse to slow down for anyone," she doled out her own orders. Already finding one volunteer in Duncan, she was quick to answer him before Lero could. "We take her alive if we can, I'm sure Lero wants to ask questions. But if we can't, I'd much rather her be a corpse than able to pass on our information."

With that, she decided it was time to make her point. It was also time to get going, which Namura pretended was her real reasoning. The ranger pivoted on her toes, jumping on to the railing. "If you're coming, it's time to go. The longer we sit around here chatting, the farther she runs away from us." With no other warning, Namura leapt from the ship and dove headfirst into the water.

Hearing the orders, Finally something I can handle! Duncan was ready, "Understood ma'am, when your ready to lea-" He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence. Namura was in the water. Duncan was off to look for more recruits and see if he could grab a small boat of some sort. A shift in authority had taken place in Duncan's mind. The captain was no longer the lead operative, it was now Namura. A fact that he quickly etched into the stone work of his mind.

Lero smirks and turns to his captain with a shrug, "She at least appears to know what she's doing..." He pulls his pack straps tight, "Keep them safe.  We'll be back by nightfall." He then follows Namura into the drink, barely making a splash as he dives deep into the water.

Seeing that all the renaming survivors are taken care off, thanks to Numera and Flux, Kraithee joins with Lero when he decides that we should track the saboteur. 

I would love to hunt the saboteur of our ship. The one thing I do despise more then Consulate is the use of sabotage and treachery! But we should try to just detain her as to interrogate and find out how much of our incursion the Consulate is aware.

With that said, Kraithee joins the hunting party eager to find the saboteur.

Buama and Flux reappear from below periodically, bringing up whatever salvage they can find/carry, as Elto and Arial go to check on the condition of the ship. Both processes take approximately 15 minutes, and by the time Elto and Arial return, Buama and Flux have amassed a sizeable pile of goods. Sorting through it, you find the following:

• Servo with a ring inserted into it (Identified as a servo that can only be controlled by whomever wears the ring. By inserting two doses of aether (one action or two bonus actions), the owner can cause the servo to dissipate the aether into a thick, black cloud, with effects identical to the darkness spell. This use is indefinite, as long as aether doses are provided.
• Three thopters (re-fluffed homunculus, and require attunement to use; the last thopter is in need of repair by an artificer)
• A golden ring, with intricate patterns mirroring the wind etched across its surface (Identified as a ring of featherfall)
• Weapons of varying degree (basically whatever anyone would need that's not magical/aether-infused)
• Four portable A.S.D.s (aether storage devices; used to pump aether into the engine and save the ship and crew)
• A portable aether converter (converts raw aether into refined aether that is usable with aether-infused devices; broken and in need of repair)
• Two aether diffusers (used to negate the harmful effects of non-aetherborn ingesting doses of aether to gain advantage on any one roll)
• Two fumigation devices (sleep scrolls, can be attached to thopters; gas covers a 15x15 area)
• A color bomb (color spray scroll, can be attached to thopters; burst covers a 15x15 area)
• Seven doses of aether

With the supplies noted, something seems to click in Arial's head. Known for her notorious use of the Elvish language, she shouts, "Jukkete! That xhan, Azsixin, must have stolen my ring! That's why she jumped off so recklessly!" Infuriated, she goes over to the pile and claims the second ring for herself. "The ring she stole goes to whomever brings me back her finger with the ring still on it!" Taking a moment to calm herself, she continues, "The rest of the supplies should be divided up between the party searching for her and those staying here to mend both themselves and the ship. We might need it for defenses, though this area seems pretty well defensible. We have a clear line-of-sight to anything approaching, and the water will deter any non-aquatic or aerial predators. We really lucked out crashing here." With that said, the party distributes the goods as they see fit (discussed on Discord), and splits up. Azi, Flux, and Buama remain behind with the crew, to help assess damages, repair, and help those who were injured, as well as look for lost survivors. The rest, Lero, Kraithee, Duncan, lead by Namura, seek out to try and find the assassin, Azsixin, and bring her back alive.

The trek starts out easy enough, and is only slowed down by the gawking and awe the rest of the party has for the nature of Peema. It's as if the forest is alive due to the presence of aether. Colors are brighter, trees are taller, and the colors present are incredible. Glowing geodes dot parts of the landscape, and floating creatures, seemingly made out of pure aether, float aimlessly like jellyfish in the current. Mushrooms are found everywhere within the forest, of varying size, color, and glow.

Only a half hour into their trek, the party soon realizes just how unforgiving the forest floor can be. While Namura was prepared, having lived there, it was a difficult treck to make it to where the party believed Azsixin had landed. Much rope and climbing was required, but after three hours, Namura was able to find the spot where Azsixin landed effortlessly, as if she was a feather, falling to the ground. What was even more peculiar though, was two sets of tracks, both close to each other, with the ground charred around the tracks themselves. coming from the south (the party came from the east), and heading alongside the tracks left by Azsixin. Namura notes that some of the grass is stained red, and due to the taste of iron determines that she is wounded from the fall, and bleeding. The charred tracks are a peculiarity, and nothing Namura has witnessed could've created such tracks.

Once Arial says that the group can take items from the pile, Flux quickly snaps up an aether dose and the broken thopter. After everyone else has taken something from the pile, they grab the servo and ring, as well as one of the ASDs with the intent to attach the ASD to the Servo. Noticing that the aether converter is broken, they offer to fix it for whoever claims it, then gets to work fixing them.

Before they start fixing the stuff, Flux stands up, and walks over to Arial and Buama.
"We should see if we can find the other dark crew members. They probably landed in the lake, and I think I saw them carrying aether powered gear the other day. Whether they had it on them at the time of the crash is another matter, but if they did have them, Buama and I can use them to identify where they are."
With that, Flux walks to the edge of the lake, and begins to focus his senses on aether, looking only to the lake. (Casts Detect Magic as a ritual, systematically checking the lake)

Namura opened her eyes when she first dove into the water, the luminescent fishes dancing below her. She swam underneath the surface for as long as she could in the crystalline liquid, eventually gasping for air at the surface. It wasn't a particularly difficult swim, and soon the whole party was lying safe on the shore. The ranger did not give them much time to catch their breath, immediately hopping to her feet and ringing out her tunic. The elf couldn't help but smile at the gorgeous scenery, beyond happy to be home. If anyone had been keeping tally, they would have noted that Namura had smiled only three times since boarding the airship.

"Don't eat those," the ranger murmured to the group, pointing at a glowing mushroom like a tour guide, as they set off in the general direction Lero pointed towards. At this point, there were certainly people that she wouldn't mind eating the poisonous 'shrooms, but that wasn't something she would ever voice. She then plucked a berry off of a nearby bush, and pops it into her mouth. "These are alright."

Namura tried to maintain her aloof and in control front, but after three hours of searching the forest floor and climbing obstacle after obstacle, she was unsure if she really was fit to lead. Just as she was about to ask tell Lero that they were going to give up this mad goose chase, she spotted them. Impossibly light footprints, just as would be expected from someone who had cast feather fall upon themself. "Here," she whispers, kneeling down and inspecting the footprints. "Truuk, I-I don't know what that is," the ranger swallowed her pride and pointed at the scorch marks. "It's not any animal of these woods, not anything natural. But I do know where we need to go. And I do know she's hurt."

The track is not forgiving, specially for Kraithee who lived all his short life, after being released from the clutches of the Consulate, on the streets of Ghirapur. Even though the trees here seem more like tall buildings and the trail Namura is opening for us look more like a maze of alleys, the floor of the forest is not as firm as of those of the city.

When they arrive at what Namura determined was the landing site and points out the different tracks that burned the forest floor, Kraithee starts wondering: Do you guys think this tracks are made by living beings or clockwork creations? It would be good to know what is walking with our pray. (Kraithee is offering to use a help action if someone wants to roll for a Intelligence (Investigation) check.

Lero follows Namura happily. When she points out the berries, he can't help but pop a few in his mouth. A bit sour, but delicious! Her expertise at traversing the terrain is quite impressive, and he makes a note to compliment her abilities when they have time for a breather. He's been to Peema previously, but only ever flying over the wilderness. It's nice to actually set his feet upon the ground and feel the natural earth beneath him once in a while. And the terrain is breathtaking - he takes mental pictures and thinks of ways to describe them for the stories he'll be able to tell back in Ghirapur. 

He has very little trouble navigating the terrain, but he can feel the exhaustion begin to set in when Namura points out the tracks, "So she's not alone..." He says to himself. "These other tracks might be some sort of construct or transportation device from Ghirapur. I heard tell the Consulate has been working on some new lifecraft with the intention of destroying the Renegades, I wonder if this could be one or two of them." He shrugs, "But I'm no expert in these things, so of course I'll follow your lead. Do you know how old the tracks might be or how far behind we are?"  (Lero rolled a 2 for Arcana (Int) to identify the tracks)

He looks up, gauging the time by the sun, "It took three hours to get here, so I figure we only have a few more hours before we should head back." He looks back to Namura, "We might have to pick up the pace if we're to catch her. Lead on."  

Buama has no issues letting Flux decide he wants to fix the broken things in the pile, but knows she could probably do it quicker. However, she always loved seeing others expanding on what they knew and improving themselves. Flux had gone the path of using aether in a form of alchemy versus her path of working with the mechanical side of things. Between the two of them they probably had most artificer stuff covered and could complement each other's efforts for greater outcome.

Being the only other artificer on board she took the two remaining thopters. She also took one of the aether storage devices because she might as well fill it up while exploring the lake. She also tucked an aether dose in one of her many pockets.

She works on attuning herself to the thopters and assessing what their capabilities were. Since neither could go underwater, she puts them away for now along with the dose of aether and straps on the aether storage device. A few adjustments and she has it set to collect aether as she explores. She double checks all her pockets are properly closed so nothing comes out and nothing extra might weigh her down. An assorted array of small tools find their homes in her various tool kits.

Satisfied, she goes top side again and climbs on the railing over the deeper area of water at the stern of the boat. She checks their position on the lake marking a couple of the more interesting trees and outcroppings on the shore for reference. She then appears to be doing a calculation in her head as her fingers move like she is counting. She nods as she decides which way she wants to go. Lastly, she pulls out a small item using it like a focus and ritually casts detect magic. The small item disappears back into its pocket, which she secures.

Without even taking a breath she jumps over the side quite gracefully despite the aether storage device strapped to her back.

After tending to his wounds and regaining his focus, Azi jumps up to start assisting others with their medical injuries.  But to his surprise Flux is extremely efficient and already has the injured people under control. Needing a different job, he will pull out his longbow "I will do a look around to see if I can find any of the people that are MIA. Let me know if anything comes up, otherwise I will post myself somewhere with a good vantage point."

Being way more comfortable on the ground than on the airship, Azi will take off running. To him this is a brisk jog, to other it may seem like he is in a full on sprint. HIs first priority is making sure the crew doesn't get ambushed, and his second will be searching. While looking he'll also keep an out for any game flying above, fresh meat is always something that will cheer people. This world outside is so chaotic yet calming.  But he is excited to get to the black site, give him a chance to really put his training to the test. 

Jumping around he really does note all of the little things, even the small splashes of in the water catch his attention. Everyone at the ship seems to be working like a well oiled machine, even after such a tragedy. At this point he will note Namura and crew exiting the water on the far side, and he watches as they disappear into the seemingly beautiful yet savage woods. "I hope they know what they're doing." He will kneel down on his high point and begin to scan the area around him.

Examining the tracks, the party discovers that while the tracks Azsixin left behind aren't very fresh, roughly an hour old, the charred tracks are still warm, and could be as fresh as just a few minutes ago. Still uncertain about what left the charred tracks, the searching party swiftly follows after the tracks, able to pursue at nearly full speed due to the ease of tracking the charred tracks. What's odd is that the forest is strangely quite as you follow the tracks. There are no birds chirping, no tiny critters scurrying out of your way... even the aether streams seems to be avoiding the path you follow. Nearly a half hour goes by as you follow the tracks in this eerie silence. Coming up over a ledge, the forest opens up into a small clearing about 140 feet away from you. Azsixin, and two creatures you've never seen before, battle it out against each other. While the creatures have similar bodies to that of a native cat, such as a tiger or longtusk, their hide is as black as charcoal. Serrated spikes protrude from their spine along the back, as well as from the elbows and knees of these hideous creatures. Their feet constantly burn, as the flames burn the very ground they walk on. Their maws are filled with rows of sharp teeth as flames escape their mouths. What's peculiar are the glowing lines that are etched across their skin, matching their eyes in color. The lines pulsate, similar to how aether would pulsate, but range from a bright orange to a deep red, and are unison in color.

While the searching party has come across Azsixin, Buama, Flux, and Azi are busy looking for the bodies of those missing in the lake. Casting detect magic, the lake seems to come aglow, as the body water is infused with trace amounts of raw aether. The lake seems to be approximately 40 feet deep, and you're able to see the base of the lake as a swirling pattern of aether, as algae and other plantlife sway in the water's currents. The bright, yet soft, blue light of natural aether is both inviting and calming.Thankfully, the glow of refined aether is more akin to a turquoise than a bright blue. Buama is able to locate one of the bodies on the bottom of the lake, due to their equipment dragging the body down below. Flux sees the difference in color about 20 feet from the shoreline to the east, floating just beneath the water. Azi, perched atop his high point on the ship, looks out into the water, and sees the third body floating about 60 feet from the southside shore of the tiny island. He also notes a pack of Peema tigers, simply watching the party from the top of one of the cliffs, approximately 300 feet away.

"Captain, this ship will require vast amounts of repair in order to bring her back into her previous condition. I calculate the time of repairs, based on what tools and supplies we have, to take approximately three months." Elto's face is emotionless, while Arial's is filled with frustration. "Three months? Traako! That dhaerow ittee can burn alive slowly for all I care. She's all but ruined my ship and stranded us in this forest." "Captain, I'm sure that if you look around, the situation itself is qui..." "Elto, shut up! I'm thinking." A few seconds pass, and she asks him, "I don't care about getting the ship in prime condition right now. What will it take to make her fly?" Elto stands motionless, something he does when calculating large amounts of numbers. "In order for the ship to fly, the only real issue is the aether storage device. The structural integrity will not prove a major issue, as long as we avoid hitting anything while flying. Buama can easily fix the holes in the pipeline connecting the engine to the aether storage device, and perhaps she can work on strengthening the integrity of the ship. I could have the aether storage device repaired in about a week, but resupplying aether will be a different matter." She nods her head as Elto gives his calculations, appeased. "That can work. When Lero returns with that dhaerow, we'll consult with him and see what we can do to getting aether. In the mean time, we need to establish a perimeter and make sure our position is secure."

Buama finds the water quite enjoyable and swims at a leisurely pace in order to see anything of interest. The detect magic with the natural light of the aether brought the underwater world to life in soft hues of blue. She swam lower thinking she might get a bit more aether in the mix by doing so and if any of the crew had something with weight on them it would drag them down rather than have them slowly floating to the top.

It wasn't long before she found the body of Asonea. Indeed something had made her sink to the bottom and get tangled up in the growth there. With a little work Buama is able to free her of everything. Knowing Asonea is beyond saving at this point, she quickly searches around where the body had wound up to make sure nothing of importance was lying there. Seeing nothing, she starts pulling the body back towards the ship finding it easier to simply stay submerged until she reaches the island. It's taking longer, for obvious reasons, to return, but she manages with one grip on Asonea and the other helping to stroke.

The pack was not helping, but maybe refining it would get some doses of aether. Climbing a tree to get in an aether trail in the air would work far better, but this probably was not a waste of extra baggage either. They needed to have the refiner fixed to see how well it worked. If they were not crashed in the forest she would have had the time to figure out how to make the ASD work more efficiently in water than she was expecting. Thinking about this made it seem not so bad that she dragged a dead body with her of a person she had some minor interaction with over a couple of days.

Once Namura found the tracks, it was smooth tracking. She was happy that the party was staying quiet, the peace allowed her to think. Finally, the crew arrived at a clearing, and she saw them. Azsixi, the traitor, and two unnatural monstrosities. The elf thought she knew every plant and animal in her woods, but these fiery beasts were utterly foreign to her. 

Not wasting any time, she gave the group a small smile and jerked her head toward their foes below. Namura hoped that they had grown accustomed to her silent, fast pace, because without a word, she had her long bow and arrow drawn.

The arrow flew through the sky, sinking into one of the beasts' hide (24 to hit, 11 points of damage). Confident that her arrow had met its mark, she took off at a sprint, running 35 feet toward the fighting trio below. 

Lero takes the queue from Namura and rushes towards the melee, pulling his rapier from its sheath and a loaded hand crossbow from his belt. "We're going to want to either scare or kill those beasts," he says between breaths, "and knock the assassin out." He leaps over a boulder, clearing it in one massive bound, eyes on the target and her assailants.  

Taking in the scene developing in front of them, Kraithee can't shake the feeling that something odd is at place here. Creatures Namura, that lived in this jungles, had never seen hunting the saboteur of our party, moving probably one step in front of us, making it think that Azsixi might have contacted her accomplices and they, seeing that we are still alive sent this creatures to kill the only witness.

Moving into the clearing, closing the distance between it and the fight developing, Kraithee extends its right hand: Creatures of fire, creatures that burn, witness the power of the cold I control! 

(Moved 30 ft. into the clearing closing the distance between it and the Cats to 110ft; cast Ray of Frost at the same target Namura struck; damage 6 Cold Damage and target has -10 ft. of movement until the start of my next turn).

Seeing that combat was upon them. Duncan focused on himself, he felt lighter then a normal man should. He quickly drew his sword and ran within 70 ft of his intended targets.

(Initiative: 12, Light Step active)

Lero continues sprinting forward, and as he gets within range he looses a bolt from his hand crossbow aiming at the same one Namura injured with the arrow. The bolt ricochet's off its thick hide and into the underbrush. He drops the hand crossbow and pulls a dagger as he goes in for melee. (Ends approx 20 feet from them)

Keeping up with the group, for it does not want to be behind if this is an ambush as it suspects, Kraithee continues the barrage of spells trying to drop the beast: Feel the cold of the Aether beast! Azsixin is ours not yours!

(Move 30 ft. - Cast Ray of Frost 1d20+5 = 24 to hit; 1d8 = 7 Cold damage)

Seeing that the cat succumbs to it's spell, Kraithee cannot avoid thinking that the Consulate or whoever used Azsixin to sabotage the ship won't be able to take her from them!